Takara Bio Inc.

Takara Shuzo Co., Inc.

Hideto Chono

Junichi Mineno

Ikunoshin Kato

Katsuyuki Dodo

Nobuto Koyama

Kiyozo Asada

Hiroaki Sagawa

Kazutoh Takesako

Kazuya Matsumoto

Naoki Saito

Hiromi Okuyama

Katsushige Ikai

Tatsuji Enoki

Takao Yoshida

Eiji Nishiyama

Takanari Tominaga

Kimikazu Hashino

Hiromu Ohnogi

Mutsumi Sano

Mio Morishita

Hua-Kang Wu

Masanari Kitagawa

Mitsuhiro Ueno

Michio Hagiya

Hirofumi Yoshioka

Kei Fujinaga

Tsuyoshi Miyamura

Yasushi Katayama

Tomoe Egashira

Hajime Matsumura

Haruko Konishi

Takashi Morimura

Kenji Sakai

Shin-ichi Yamada

Takahisa Tsukihara

Noritsugu Yabe

Yuko Taguchi

Mayumi Shimomura

Koichi Inoue

The present invention provides an expression cassette comprising (1) an expression regulatory region having a sequence corresponding to a transcriptional activator-binding region and (2) a nucleic acid encoding a transcriptional activator which is capable of binding to the expression regulatory region, wherein the nucleic acid is operably linked to the expression regulatory region; a method for expressing a target product in a mammalian cell, a method for producing a cell expressing a target product, and a method for producing a target product in a mammalian cell using the expression cassette; and a kit comprising the expression cassette.

Expression cassette

A nucleic acid comprising a transcription regulation sequence whose transcription is induced by a trans-acting factor of a human immunodeficiency virus and a gene encoding a polypeptide having an endoribonuclease activity specific to single-stranded RNA, wherein the gene is located in such a position that the expression of the gene can be regulated by the transcription regulation sequence; a method for production of a cell showing an inhibited replication of a human immunodeficiency virus therein, the method comprising the step of introducing the nucleic acid into a cell; and a method for treatment or prevention of a human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Nucleic acid for treatment or prevention of immunodeficiency virus infection

The present invention addresses the problem of providing cell populations having a high proportion of CD4-positive naive T cells and/or CD4-positive central memory T cells, and a production method thereof. The present invention provides a production method for CD4-positive T cell populations which is characterized by using anti-CD3 antibodies, fibronectin fragments, and Interleukin-4. The method is characterized not only by the attainment of a cell group with a high proportion of CD4-positive naive T cells and/or CD4-positive central memory T cells, but also by a high bulk yield.

Production method for cell populations

Disclosed is a simple and highly efficient method for introducing a gene into a target cell using a retrovirus vector. The method comprises the steps of (a) placing a liquor containing a retrovirus vector having a foreign gene carried thereon into a bag for cell culture on which a retrovirus-binding substance has been immobilized, and incubating the liquor at a temperature lower than 25&#xb0; C. for 8-48 hours, thereby producing a culture bag having the retrovirus vector bound thereto, (b) adding a target cell to the culture bag that has been produced in step (a) and incubating the culture bag for 8 hours or less, and (c) flipping the culture bag upside down and incubating the culture bag. The gene introduction method is useful particularly in medicine, cell technology, gene technology, and embryologic technology.

Method for gene transfer

The N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III activity is enhanced in a cell carrying retrovirus-origin gag-pol gene and env gene. By constructing a retrovirus vector with the use of the above cell, a retrovirus vector having a modified sugar chain structure can be obtained. The retrovirus vector constructed by this method shows a high infection efficiency particularly in the presence of a functional substance.

Method for producing retrovirus using human producer cells with increased N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III activity

A method of retrovirus storage, characterized in that a retrovirus is sustained in the presence of a substance with retrovirus binding activity immobilized on a solid phase. Further, there is provided a retrovirus composition characterized in that a retrovirus in the form of binding to a substance with retrovirus binding activity is sealed in a container holding a solid phase having the substance with retrovirus binding activity immobilized thereon.

Method of retrovirus storage

Disclosed is a method for introducing a gene into a target cell using a retrovirus vector, which is simple and highly efficient. Specifically disclosed is a method for introducing a gene into a target cell using a retrovirus vector, which comprises the steps of (a) placing a liquor containing a retrovirus vector having a foreign gene carried thereon into a culture vessel on which a retrovirus-binding substance has been immobilized, and incubating the liquor at a temperature lower than 25&#xb0; C. for 4 hours or longer, thereby producing a culture vessel having the retrovirus vector bound thereto, and (b) adding a target cell to the culture vessel that has been produced in step (a) and incubating the culture vessel. The gene introduction method is simple and highly efficient, and is useful particularly in the fields of medicine, cell technology, gene technology, embryologic technology and the like.

The present invention provides a baglike container for centrifugation that is mounted in a centrifuge to thereby allow centrifugation of a dispersion liquid accommodated therein. The baglike container for centrifugation is less likely to tear or break as a result of centrifugation by disposing a container wall surface of the baglike container so as to apply centrifugal force perpendicular to the container wall surface.

Baglike container for centrifugation and method of gene transfer using the same

Improved methods for transferring a gene into target cells by using a retrovirus, wherein the gene transfer efficiency is improved and the target cells are efficiently transformed by binding the retrovirus to a functional substance which is immobilized on as carrier and having an activity of binding to retroviruses followed by washing; using an antibody capable of specifically recognizing cells, laminin or mannose-rich type sugar chain as a substance having an activity of binding to the target cells; pre-treating the target cells so as to inactivate transferrin receptor, or introducing a new functional group into the functional substance.

Gene transfer methods

An antiviral agent which is characterized in containing at least one compound selected from a group consisting of 4,5-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one represented by the following formula &lsqb;I&rsqb; and an optically active substance and a salt thereof as an effective component.

Antiviral agents

A compound represented by the following formula &lsqb;I&rsqb; or an optically active substance or a salt thereof.

Compounds

Growing community of inventors

Otsu, Japan

Hideto Chono